The Gordon Conference on Phagocytes is the leading international forum for exploring the frontiers of leukocyte biology. From an organizational point of view, the following themes have been emphasized in structuring the 1993 meeting: Attracting leading scientists to the meeting who have not participated before; showcasing a new generation of potential leaders at the junior faculty level, many of whom have participated regularly in this conference without having a chance to present their own work themselves; and highlighting women and minorities who are making important contributions by giving them speaking or session-chairing assignments. Scientifically, the emphases are on the following: Biochemical analysis of the molecular basis of phenomena important to inflammatory and infectious disease; the inter-relatedness of areas traditionally studied in isolation; the importance of advances in technology, including mass spectroscopic analysis of proteins, use of gene knockouts and gene therapy; and the emergence of new therapeutic approaches to the treatment of diseases involving the anti-infectious or pro-inflammatory properties of phagocytes. The session topics include gene regulation in phagocytes; role of small GTPases in cell spreading, exocytosis and the function of the oxidase; seven-transmembrane domain receptors; role of protein tyrosine kinases and phosphatases in signalling; leukocyte adhesion to endothelium and other biologic surfaces; leukocyte transmigration across epithelia and endothelia; the dynamic role of the cytoskeleton in cell signalling and host-parasite interactions; the basis by which pathogens invade host cells and suppress or evade their antimicrobial function; and new approaches to therapy. The diseases whose control depends on advances in phagocyte biology, and which will be discussed specifically in this meeting, include septic shock, adult respiratory distress syndrome, cystic fibrosis, acute and chronic inflammation including arthritis and autoimmunity, tuberculosis, shigellosis, toxoplasmosis, leishmaniasis, chronic granulomatous disease, leukemia, leukocyte adhesion deficiency, and the newly recognized and clinically related entity, sLex deficiency.